Dana Sirbu1, Monica Popa1, Daniela Curseu1, Andrei Achimas-Cadariu2, and Ludovic Hegedűs3
1 Department of Environmental Health, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2 Department of Informatics, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3 City Hospital of Huedin, Cluj County, Romania
Corresponding author: Dr. Dana Sirbu
Cismigiu str. nr. 1, floor 2, ap 9
RO-400032, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Telephone: 0040-264-599438
E-mail: dana_m_sirbu@yahoo.com
CEJOEM 2005, Vol.11. No.4.: 281–287
Key words: Hospital wastewaters, environmental risk, disinfectants, pharmaceuticals, human health risk
Abbreviations:
BOD5 COD MPN
= 5-day biological oxygen demand = chemical oxygen demand = most probable number of faecal bacteria
Pc SM Vt
= pollutant concentration in the hospital effluents = suspended matter = threshold values
Abstract: Health-care units are sources of contamination to the environment through their wastewaters, loaded
with pathogenic microorganisms (some of which are multiresistent to antibiotics), heavy metals, disinfectants,
detergents, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and some radionuclides. Uncontrolled discharge from hospitals enhances
the ecotoxicological risk for environment and toxic or infectious risk for humans. The aim of this study was
to characterize from the microbiological and physicochemical points of view, the wastewaters of one of the
University Hospitals in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), discharging all effluents from the various departments into
the municipal sewage system without pretreatment. In the hospital studied and, maybe, in many others too, measures
to reduce environmental risks, in order to be conform with the European Commission Directives, should be taken.